Sydney Boys High School (SBHS), otherwise known as Sydney High School (SHS) or simply High, is an Australian government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located at Moore Park, New South Wales, a suburb within the City of Sydney council.
Sydney Boys High was established in 1883 and is operated by the New South Wales Department of Education as a school within the Port Jackson Education Area of the Sydney Region. The school hosts approximately 1,200 students from Year 7 to Year 12 – a number greater than most other selective state schools – and is situated adjacent to its sister school, Sydney Girls' High School. The school is a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS).
The school was moved to its current site at Moore Park in 1928. The school is bounded by Moore Park (West), Anzac Parade, Sydney Girls High School and Cleveland Street.
The school regularly ranks within the top ten in New South Wales in terms of academic achievement, ranking 4th in the state in 2011 and 5th in the state in the 2017 Higher School Certificate (HSC), and has produced numerous notable alumni.
History
Sydney Boys High School was the first state high school in New South Wales and Australia. It was created under Premier Henry Parkes' public education system in the early 1880s following the Public Instruction Act 1880 (NSW).
Sydney Boys High School nor Sydney Girls High School has ever had a primary education division and are thus the first NSW state high schools founded for the express purpose of secondary education.
Sydney Boys High School was originally one collective unit merged with Sydney Girls; it was originally a mixed-sex school. Sydney High School was established as two single-sex schools sharing a single building, with boys and girls on separate floors. Presently, this site is home to the Elizabeth Street store of David Jones.
thumb|right|Second campus of Sydney Boys High School, at Mary Ann Street in [[Ultimo, New South Wales|Ultimo, in 1927.]]
In 1892, the boys' school was relocated to Mary Ann Street in Ultimo.
In 1906, Sydney Boys High School became a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS or GPS). (The term "public school" here has the meaning as used in the United Kingdom; that is, a private school). Despite this, it is the sporting association's only government (public) school member.
In 1928, the school moved to its current location at Moore Park, on the fringe of inner-city Sydney. This site was designed by George McRae, designer of the Queen Victoria Building. This site was previously the Moore Park Zoo, which was relocated to Mosman as Taronga Zoo.
List of officers
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Headmaster
! colspan="2" |President, SHSOBU
|-
!Year
!Name
!Year
!Name
|-
|1883
| John Waterhouse
|
|
|-
|1884–1895
|Joseph Coates
|1892–1894
|J. Coates
|-
| rowspan="13" |1896–1915
| rowspan="13" |J. Waterhouse
|1902
|A. M. Eedy
|-
|1903
|P. J. Pratt
|-
|1904
|C. H. Cooke
|-
|1905
|O. U Vonwiller
|-
|1906
|R. C. Frosyth
|-
|1907
|C. M. Drew
|-
|1908
|G. C. Saxby
|-
|1909
|C. A. Fairland
|-
|1910
|F. A. Todd
|-
|1911
|P. S. Hunt
|-
|1912
|G. C. Saxby
|-
|1913
|A. Bohrsman
|-
|1914–1915
|A. G. Henderson
|-
| rowspan="2" |1916–1918
| rowspan="2" |R. J. Hinder
|1916
|W. G. Lewes
|-
|1917–1918
|E. J. Hooke
|-
| rowspan="4" |1919–1924
| rowspan="4" |C. R. Smith
|1919–1920
|H. K. Prior
|-
|1921–1922
|L. F. Watt
|-
|1923
|W. W. Vick
|-
|1924
|A. M. Eedy
|-
| rowspan="6" |1925–1933
| rowspan="6" |G. C. Saxby
|1925–1927
|R. T. McKay
|-
|1928
|A. M. Eedy
|-
|1929
|W. J. Cleary
|-
|1930–1931
|O. A. A. Diethelm
|-
|1932
|H. F. Halloran
|-
| rowspan="2" |1933–1934
| rowspan="2" |S. A. Smith
|-
| rowspan="2" |1934–1935
| rowspan="2" |F. McMullen
|-
| rowspan="2" |1935–1936
| rowspan="2" |C. G. McDonald
|-
| rowspan="10" |1936–1951
| rowspan="10" |J. H. Killip
|-
|1937
|G. F. Diamond
|-
|1938–1939
| J. R. Nield
|-
|1940
| G. Hardwicke
|-
|1941–1942
|C. N. Hirst
|-
|1943
|E. Pye
|-
|1944–1946
|G. Hardwicke
|-
|1947–1948
|D. J. Duffy
|-
|1949–1950
|A. R. Beveridge
|-
| rowspan="2" |1951–1952
| rowspan="2" |K. C. Cameron
|-
| rowspan="3" |1952–1954
| rowspan="3" |G. Barr
|-
|1953
|P. G. Saywell
|-
| rowspan="2" |1954–1956
| rowspan="2" |A. R. Callaway
|-
| rowspan="4" |1955–1963
| rowspan="4" |K. J. Andrews
|-
|1957–1959
|D. J. Duffy
|-
|1960–1962
|A. Ferguson
|-
| rowspan="2" |1963–1964
| rowspan="2" |W. McMurray
|-
| rowspan="6" |1964–1973
| rowspan="6" |M. R. Callaghan
|-
|1965–1966
|C. E. H. Rubie
|-
|1967–1968
|A. F. Deer
|-
|1969–1970
|Sir G. Wallace
|-
|1971–1972
|K. Torrington
|-
| rowspan="2" |1973–1974
| rowspan="2" |Sir B. Sugerman
|-
| rowspan="2" |1974–1976
| rowspan="2" |G. J. Bradford
|-
| rowspan="2" |1975–1977
| rowspan="2" |S. Livingston
|-
| rowspan="8" |1977–1991
| rowspan="8" |Bob Outterside
|-
|1978–1979
|E. S. Swinbourne
|-
|1980–1981
|P. A. Musgrove
|-
|1982–1985
|B. H. Pyke
|-
|1986–1987
|J. M. Challen
|-
|1988
|B. H. Pyke
|-
|1989–1990
|M. Aikin
|-
| rowspan="2" |1991–1992
| rowspan="2" |R. Mitchell
|-
| rowspan="3" |1992–1999
| rowspan="3" |R. J. Stratford
|-
|1993–1998
|J. Norrie
|-
| rowspan="2" |1999–2000
| rowspan="2" |N. Scudder
|-
| rowspan="8" |2000–present
| rowspan="8" |K. A. Jaggar
|-
|2001–2004
|J. Goddard
|-
|2005–2006
|M. Livingston
|-
|2007–2012
|J. Waugh
|-
|2013–2014
|R. Bowey
|-
|2015–2018
|P. Almond
|-
|2019–2024
|P. Harapin
|-
|2024–present
|J. Ezrakhovich
|}
Headmaster was renamed to principal in 1992.
The Sydney High School Old Boys' Union lapsed from 1895 to 1901 due to lack of enrolments.
Academic
Enrolments
Year 7 – the first year – intakes 180 students, but students from higher grades may be granted admittance provided vacancies exist. Offers of admission into the school in Year 7 are based on achievement in the Selective High School Placement Test. as estimated by their scores in relevant fields in the Selective High School Placement Test. Proven proficiencies in music, as demonstrated by a proper formal qualification (e.g., Australian Music Examinations Board grades) also serve assessment.
Academic results
Sydney Boys High School has been historically known and is known for its academic achievement in the Higher School Certificate.
The following table shows the school's rankings relative to other schools in the state. The rankings are based on the percentage of exams sat that resulted in a placing on the Distinguished Achievers List (highest band result) as shown by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority.
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Ranking
|-
|align=center| 2007 ||align=center| 10
|-
|align=center| 2008 || align=center| 7
|-
|align=center| 2009 ||align=center| 7
|-
|align=center| 2010 ||align=center| 6
|-
|align=center| 2011 ||align=center| 4
|-
|align=center| 2012 ||align=center| 8
|-
|align=center| 2013 ||align=center| 7
|-
|align=center| 2014 ||align=center| 6
|-
|align=center| 2015 ||align=center| 5
|-
|align=center| 2016 ||align=center| 7
|-
|align=center| 2017 ||align=center| 5
|-
|align=center| 2018 ||align=center| 7
|-
|align=center| 2019 ||align=center| 10
|-
|align=center| 2020 ||align=center| 10
|-
|align=center| 2021 ||align=center| 13
|-
|align=center| 2022 ||align=center| 11
|-
|align=center| 2023 ||align=center| 13
|-
|align=center| 2024 ||align=center| 9
|-
|align=center| 2025 ||align=center| 6
|}
Departments
The curriculum, endorsed by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority, is taught by the following 12 departments:
- English
- English (Year 7–10)
- English Advanced (Year 11–12)
- English Extension 1 (Year 11–12)
- English Extension 2 (Year 12)
- Mathematics
- Mathematics (Year 7–10)
- Mathematics Advanced (Year 11–12)
- Mathematics Extension 1 (Year 11–12)
- Mathematics Extension 2 (Year 12)
- Science
- Science (Year 7–10)
- Biology (Year 11–12)
- Chemistry (Year 11–12)
- Physics (Year 11–12)
- Computing studies
- Information Processes and Technology
- Industrial arts
- Engineering Studies
- Music
- Music 1
- Music 2
- Music Extension
- Visual arts
- Visual Arts
- History
- History (Year 7–9)
- History Elective (Year 10)
- Ancient History (Year 11–12)
- Modern History (Year 11–12)
- History Extension (Year 12)
- Social Science
- Geography (Year 7–9)
- Geography Elective (Year 10)
- Geography (Year 11–12)
- Business Studies (Year 11–12)
- Economics (Year 11–12)
- Legal Studies (Year 11–12)
- Languages Other than English (LOTE)
:Classical languages
:*Latin
:*Ancient Greek
:Modern Languages
:*French
:*Chinese
:*German
:*Japanese
Grounds, buildings, and facilities
The current Moore Park site hosts the Great Hall, other school buildings, tennis courts, a gymnasium, the Junior Quadrangle, and the Flat, a common low-lying area of land between Sydney Boys and Sydney Girls' High Schools. The school buildings include approximately 60 classrooms, two change rooms, the Junior Library (for Years 7–9), and the Senior Library (for Years 10–12).
Nearby to the school are a number of sports facilities, such as the tennis courts opposite to the Sydney Boys and Girls High Schools,
In addition, SBHS has its own cadet unit, which won the 23 Battalion AFX Trophy in 2012 and 2013.
During major sporting events, Sydney Boys High School may also rent out it's parking space for $10 along with any available spaces in the school.
Co- and extracurricular activities
Debating and public speaking
Sydney Boys has achieved notability in debating, having won the Hume Barbour trophy and Karl Cramp trophy 26 times and 14 times respectively, more than any other school.
<!--
In 2007, 2008, 2009...?
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The school also competes in the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition and the GPS debating competition. The SBHS First Grade debating team have won the GPS Debating premiership 20 times, most recently in 2024.
The school is also very prolific in Chess, having won the Terrey Shaw Shield and the NSWJCL Interschool State Chess Championship 17 and 22 times respectively.
Sport
Sydney Boys High School has a long tradition of sports, in addition to academic scholarship and, stipulating that students must participate in sports until Year 12, offers students a wide range of sports, including:
- Athletics
- Association football (soccer), AAGPS (NSW) Soccer
- Basketball, AAGPS (NSW) Basketball
- Cricket
- Cross country running
- Fencing
- Rifle shooting
- Rowing
- Rugby union, AAGPS (NSW) Rugby
- Sailing
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Water Polo (in the combined GPS/CAS competition)
Sydney Boys High School is the sole state-operated member school of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales since 1906. It therefore competes against other GPS schools in many of the aforementioned sports, including the traditional English public school sports of cricket, rowing, and rugby union. Accordingly, and unusually for a state school, the school possess rowing facilities at the Outterside Centre at Abbotsford, which includes a dormitory, boat sheds, and three pontoons; playing fields at Centennial Park, with the Fairland Pavilion and the McKay Oval, a fenced cricket ground; and, facilities at the ANZAC Rifle Range, which are managed by the Sydney High School Rifle Club.
Basketball Team Achievements
Championship Men (Open)
- Australian Schools Championships
: Champions: (2) 2010, 2011
: Third Place: 2013, 2014
School traditions
House system
Each student at Sydney Boys High School is placed into one of six houses, and each year is evenly divided into these houses. These houses, named after early Old Boys who have significantly contributed to and served the school, are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! House name !! Colour !! Namesake
|-
| Eedy (E) || Sky blue || Arthur Malcolm Eedy, a student in the first intake (1883–1886)
|-
| Fairland (F) || Red || Charles Adam Fairland
|-
| McKay (M) || Yellow || Robert Thomas McKay
|-
| Saxby (S) || Green || George Campbell Saxby, a student in the second intake (1884–1887) and the fifth headmaster of the school
|-
| Torrington (T) || Navy blue ||
|}
As of late, these houses, as at the Year 7 intake, have been grouped according to the strengths and weaknesses of the students, with an outrider class, English skills enhancement class, music proficiency class, sports proficiency class, and language preference class. In addition to these, an English enrichment group and a general abilities group may also be formed.
In 2002, "Sydney Boys High School wanted a more sophisticated admissions process, and more freedom to choose its own students." In 2002, it was proposed that, of the 180 Year 7 places, 30 places would be allocated each year on the basis of the Selective Schools Entrance Test (with no extended writing requirement), a detailed curriculum vitae, two school reports, and their achievements in civic, sporting, community, and leadership involvement. This is similar to the manner by which students are admitted to some private schools.
In 2013, the school was again featured in the media for its proposal to modify its selection criteria. This proposal involved reserving 30 places of the annual Year 7 intake of 180 places for local boys who live within of the school. Connolly stated that "any racial undertones to earlier campaigns were a thing of the past" and that "the benefit for the school this time is about tying it to its local community". The proposal would, in theory, reduce the load on overcrowded local high schools. However, this proposal was rejected, as stated in a Sydney Morning Herald article, and would be a short-term resolution to the problem.
As of the 2012 edition of the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities statistics, more than 80% of the students enrolled at Sydney Boys High School have a language background other than English; however, this is not to suggest that these students and their parents or guardians are all recent immigrants or not proficient in English or, broadly, that the school is not necessarily lacking in diversity.
In recent years, an increasing number of "sport[s] imports" have been admitted in later years, to bolster the school's ability to more competitively participate in sports against other members of the AAGPS. This drew allegations of Sydney Boys High School of being unmeritocratic in its selection process. Furthermore, in part due to the English public school nature of the school and the AAGPS, of which the school is a member, claims of nepotism and other favouritism have been levelled against the school. Brothers, sons, and grandsons of students or Old Boys have been allowed to enrol, though they may not have met the rigorous selection criteria. Some old boys, however, argue that where former graduates living in the community have sons and guardians at the school there is greater parental involvement at the school.
</blockquote>
Notable alumni
Sydney Boys High School has produced numerous prominent alumni, referred to as "Old Boys". Many graduates are active in alumni organisations, such as the Sydney High School Old Boys Union (OBU), the High Club, and High Rugby Friends.
Scott Morrison, a Prime Minister of Australia (2018–2022), is an alumnus of Sydney Boys High School.
See also
- List of government schools in New South Wales
- List of selective high schools in New South Wales